The refreshed 2019 Hyundai Ioniq is the first major revision since its 2016 market launch, and will go on-sale here in the second-half of this year.

The Hyundai Ioniq might have only just launched in Australia but it’s been on-sale in other markets since 2016 and now it’s die a refresh. This refresh will arrive Down Under towards the end of this year with pricing and final specifications still to be announced.

The Ioniq was planned from the beginning to offer three electrified drivetrains, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric. The key tweaks to this refreshed model are design (inside and out), connectivity, safety and battery capacity, thanks to a new 38.3-kWh battery (up from 28-kWh). The battery has also been mounted lower down for improved centre of gravity.

This bigger battery means 36% more energy storage and a range of 294km (WLTP). And borrowing from the Kona Electric, the updated Ioniq will adopt improved regenerative braking functionality allowing for one-pedal driving capability “by simply holding onto the left paddle shift lever with often no need to engage the braking pedal. Working thus via Smart Regenerative Braking, the level of energy recuperation is automatically adjusted depending on the road incline and traffic situation in front when coasting,” according to Hyundai. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants will be able to adjust their level of regenerative braking.

The Ioniq’s e-motor delivers 100kW and 295Nm of torque and is fitted standard with a 7.2-kW on-board charger – an upgrade from the current car’s 6.6-kW – for Type 2 AC charging. Using a 100-kW fast-charging station, the battery can reach 80% charge in around 54 minutes. The drivetrains in the hybrid and plug-in hybrid carryover from the current vehicle. 

The refreshed Ioniq will get Hyundai Blue Link which allows for things like remote start and stop, remote lock or unlock and even control the air-conditioning via a smartphone app. Owners of the plug-in or battery electric vehicle will be able to check the status of their vehicle’s battery from their phone too. Like other brands, Hyundai will also include eCall on the refreshed Ioniq which, if the airbags are triggered, or the call button above the rear vision mirror is pressed information including time of accident, location and more will be sent to local emergency services – whether eCall will work this way in Australia remains to be seen.

Updated Ioniq will also offer a cost-optional Audio Video Navigation via the 10.25-inch infotainment screen. “The improved screen can be customised providing two home screen versions and ability to edit displayed widgets and icons,” Hyundai said. And even the entry system will feature a multi-Bluetooth set-up allowing two phones to stream music at the same time.

The interior tweaks are limited to standard black seat trims with four optional trims, a new dashboard trim garnish, and redesigned climate controls and there’s new blue ambient lighting and a tweaked console display which will show a different mood lighting scape for the various driving modes. 

On the outside, the hybrid and plug-in hybrid share a new-look grille while the battery electric Ioniq gets a unique closed grille. All models feature an updated front bumper design with a silver-coloured moulding at the bottom, and new anthracite colour on the rear bumper moulding and daytime running light bezels up front. The LED DRLs as well as the LED head- and tail-lights have been “redesigned to make the IONIQ stand out at night”.

In terms of active safety features, the updated Ioniq will continue with Front Collision Warning and Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection with new Cyclist Detection ability and Driver Attention Warning. Lane Keeping Assist and High Beam Assist are also standard. Cost-optionally available are Lane Following Assist which keeps the car in the middle of a lane so drivers can navigate safely even in heavy traffic during rush hour, and Intelligent Speed Limit Warning that uses the front camera and information from the navigation system to identify road speed signs and displays the speed limit and no-passing signs in real time.

Stay tuned for pricing and final specifications as we get closer to the local launch.